She may not be as regular on screen as she used to be in the early days of Nollywood where, according to informed industry observers, she maintained an unofficial record of featuring in about six out of every 10 movies released back then, but the multi-talented Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife-trained theatre artiste, StephNora Okere, has remained relevant in the movie industry as butter is to bread.
Unlike some of her peers that have taken a back seat in the scheme of things, the Imo State native combines her craft as an actress with scripting and movie productions.
‘Steph’, as she is simply called by friends, currently runs a production company called Afrovision Studios, which she founded over two decades and a half ago to create compelling narratives that address social issues, inspire, entertain and provoke thought.
For Steph, who speaks Yoruba language fluently, Afrovision Studios was founded to further one of her career ambitions, which is to nurture the art, culture and people of Africa through the art of storytelling.
One of the big fruits of Steph’s Afrovision Studios, which speaks to its dedication to producing films that contribute to positive societal change, is ready. Titled, Roberta, the gripping big budget movie produced with funding support of the Bank of Industry (BOI) Nolly-Fund tells the story of Amaka, a talented young girl, who was raised amid abuse and was further lured out from home to what seemed like safety, but she finds herself in a stronger abusive environment, which goes on to threaten her very existence.
Produced by StephNora Okere and directed by Ema Edosio, Roberta, which stars notable and top-rated actors such as, Wale Ojo, Keppy Ekpeyong, Somkele Iyamah, Barbara Odoh, Kalu Ikeagwu, Kelechi Udegbe, Cynthia Shalom and Vivian Anani will be exclusively presented at a premiere today at the Silverbird Galleria, Abuja.
Steph hinted that the executive premiere, which is aptly facilitated by the Bank of Industry, would be a star-studded affair, featuring celebrities, top government officials, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and agencies dedicated to girl-child upliftment.
Speaking on the ‘Roberta’ project and its potential impact on society, Steph, who runs the BigSister Care Foundation, an NGO, said: “I grew up in Nigeria in a relatively comfortable home, yet faced challenges in my career and as a student. I can imagine the hardships for underprivileged girls; some are forced into these situations owing to survival instincts.
My belief is that highlighting these situations and dangers is an effective way to educate everyone on the signs, dangers, and potential solutions, especially for the vulnerable. Roberta transcends the realm of mere entertainment; it is a powerful narrative shedding light on societal issues and championing the resilience of women determined to overcome adversity.”
An easy going, humble and amiable personality, whose artistic contribution has retained something of a permanent place for her in the scheme of things, Steph who revealed that she would have featured in over 100 movies revealed that she joined Nollywood in 1994. She was just 21 then and was already a graduate of Dramatic Arts. Before then, she was doing well as a stage and television actress and was in fact on the cast of the successful television soap Beyond Our Dreams.
But when acting on home video became the main stay for most actors, she joined too, and in no time, the star of commercially successful movies like, Indecent Girl, Angels Forever, Lagos Babes and Sharon Stone became notable and grabbed lead and supporting roles both in the English and Yoruba language movie divide of the industry, as she ran along.
She also ventured into production of movies and penned scripts, which she either produced or sold out rightly. ‘’I majored in scriptwriting and of course my training as a dramatic artiste exposed me to managing productions. So, I decided to venture into those two areas. So, I have always been around. I only reduced the numbers of films I featured in and ensured that anyone I accepted will be something worth the while. So, I have been around. If I took a break at all, it was to work on my talk show and to write more scripts and produce more movies,” she said.
An old pupil of St Paul’s School, Ebute Metta, Lagos and an old girl of Jubril Martins Memorial School, Lagos and Akwakuma Secondary School, Owerri, Steph’s career ambition is to continue to remain relevant as an artiste. She also wants to be involved in a lot of charity work. “I want to remain relevant as an artiste, as filmmaker and producer and as a playwright and scriptwriter.
I also want to be celebrated in the areas of event management and production consultancy. I want to be engaged in productions that are of international standards. I also want to do more for society through my NGO, Big Sisters Care Foundation. Let me just say that I want to be different and also set standards for others to follow,” she surmised.
